Apparatus for the conversion and transformation of liquids, fluids, and oils



Sept. 2, 1924; V

.J. H. ADAMS APPARATUS FOR THE CQNVERSION AND TRANS FORMATIGN OF LIQUIDS, FLUIDSJ, AND OILS "Filed March 5, 1919 wgugmk k w i OOOOO IIVVENTOR WITNESSES 58m, 2? 192%., 3,506,878 J. H. ADAMS APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION AND TRANSFORMATION OF LIQUIDS FLUI DS AND 01145 Filed March 5, 1919 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Sept. 2, 1924.

. J. H. ADAMS APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION AND TRANSFORMATION OF LIQUIDS, FLUIDS, AND OILS 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5.

II-VVENTOH WITNESSES Sept. 2, 1924. 1,506,878 v J. H. ADAMS APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION AND TRANSFORMATION OF LIQUIDS, FLUIDS, AND OILS Filed March 5, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet W/TNESSES carbon oils on a commercial basis.

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPHIH. Anms'or rm'rnusn, NEW YORK, assrenon. To me TEXAS comm,

- or nous'ron, TEXAS, A CORPORATION on axes.

- arraaamus Ion m n convnasron AND TRANSFORMATION OF mourns, rnums, m ens.

Application filed March a, 1919. semilro. 280,456.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Josnrn H. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flatbush, in the county of Kings and- State of New York, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for the Conversion and Transformation of Liquids, Fluids, and Oils, and of which the following is a' specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus having the capacity of carrying out the oil converting process disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 280,455, filed March 3, 1919, and deals with certain improvements in the subject matter of my other cO-pending application Ser. No. 530,852 filed Dec. 1, 1909, now Paten 1,320,354, Oct. 28, 1919.

The object in view in this apparatus is the construction and operation of the several cO-related parts comprising the system, at a moderate cost and so constructed and designed as to enable workmen skilled in the art of oil conversion to readily operate the same at a high rate of commercial efficiency especially in the transformation of high boiling petroleum and coal tar oils into lower boiling products as gasolene, naphtha, benzol, toluol and other light hydro-carbon products to meet the ever increasing demand for these oily spirits and light oils.

A further object is to secure simple and inexpensive parts and features and to so arrange and co-relate the same as to render available a complete organization or system capable of continuously converting hydro- Other obj ects of the invention will be obvious from the annexed drawings and from the following descriptions as the combinations of elements and arrangement of parts will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the following claims.

In order that this invention may be more fully disclosed and otherwise made clearly comprehensible to those skilled in the art, drawings of the many possible embodiments thereof have been appended as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views of which:

Fig. l, is an assembly in elevation of the organized for commercial op above the vapor cracking chamber and which is animprovement over that shown in Fig. 2. a

Fig. 4, is a cross sectional view taken through line ZZ of Figs. '2 and 3, and shows the relative position of insulator core, electrodes and container.

Fig. 5, shows a battery of improved converters for commercial operation wherein the super-atmospheric vapor pressures are equalized through vapor and oil supply pipes, and:

igs. 5 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the simple construction of a form of electric heater employed for oil vaporizing and vapor cracking.

Referring now to the drawing Fig. l, A,

represents a suitable supply tank as a source of the oil to be treated. Fluid oil may be admitted to this tank through pipe 1 controlled by valve 2, and the displaced air, at the time of filling, may escape through pipe 3 controlled by valve 4:. This tank may be provided with glass sight gauges 5, so that the height of oil therein may be known at all times.

Oil. is withdrawn from the tank A,

through pipe 6 and sediment trap 7 by pump 8, and forced through pipe 9, precision valves 10 and pipe 11, into pro-heater B, composed of a refractory brick or.asbes tos and magnesia lined shell containing a heating means and a pipe coil 12, so that the inflowing oil to the converter may be rapid 1y heated as it flows through the coils and out'through pipe 13 and trap 14, into the body of the converter C-D.

This form of converter is composed of a vaporizing section C, provided with a glass sight gauge 15, to record the heightvof oilin the section, and a thick flint glass sight 16, so that the color of the heater may be observed.

Mounted above the vaporizing section C,

and made fast thereto by interposed flange members 41, a section D, is arranged for confining the vapors of oil arising from the vaporizing section 0, while undergoing the cracking operation. This section is provided with a glass sight gauge 17 and a thick flint glass sight 18, so thatvthe the color of the vapor cracking heater may be observed.

Leading 19, connects into the top of a gauge column 20, on which glass sight gauges 21, are arranged so as to enable the operator to more carefully observe the height of oil in the converter C-D. The bottom of this column 20, connects into the top of trap 14, so that there will be a complete circulation of oil and oily vapors through the column and gauge glasses.

Leadin out from the opposite side, near the top or the section D, a vapor pipe 22, is connected into the upper part of a tra F, in which a baffle plate 23, is arranged to throw down any partially .or wholly unconverted vapors before passing out through pipe 24: to the coils 25 0t condenser G.

Such heavy vapors which fall in liquid condensate are led back t the section C, through pipe 26, while any lighter partially converted vapors which pass down around the bottom of the baflle plate 23, but which do not rise and flow through pipe 24 to the condenser 'but fall t the bottom of the trap 1*, flow through pipe 27 to the liquid collecting tank J, to be returned to-the tank A, for re-treatment.

The vapors and gases passing through the condenser G, flow through pipe 28, into the distillate and gas collecting tank H, provided with a sight gauge glass 29 and a pressure gauge 30. From this tankithe liq uid oil is withdrawn through pipe 31 con trolled byvalve 32, and the non-condensible fixed gases are let ofi through pipe 33 controlled by needle valve 34:.

As it is diiiicult to regulate the speed of a pump so as to deliver constantly a given fixed quantity of oil to the system, a pipe 35 and anvenclosed pop or release valve 36, are arranged in the oil delivery system from pump 8, and by regulating the tension in the enclosed-release valve 36. to a higher pressure than that maintained in the systom, the pump 8, can be operated to deliver throughprecision valves 10, the required amount of oil to the heater and converter,

and the surplus oil can be released through this valve and returned to the tank A, for re-ciroulation. The gauge 3?, will record the pressure of oil in the delivery system while gauges 38 at the head of the conver ter and 30 on the running tank H, will record the back pressure in the System against which the oil must be forced. by

heater it is raised almost to the point of pump 8 into the converter O-D.

The lower section C, of the converter is out from this section D, a pipe tort section 0, exert a high superatmospheric vapor pressure, I have arranged a steel cap 42, at the top of this section and made it fast against a gasket by means of strong steel bolts. 4

As a means of safety in this high pressure system, should an unavoidably excessive pressure occur, a safety valve 43 is provided and arranged in the vapor line 24:,

the body of liquid oil contained in the re above the condenser so that any sudden expansion in the system can be released without affecting the operation of the several corelated parts of the apparatus.

The liquid contents of tank J, can be returned to supply tank A, by means of a pump to'in connection wlth pipe 44, provided to' withdraw the oil and force it through pipe 46 into the supply tank so that with new oil it may be retreated as before.

The heaters contained within the converting retort C D, and which will be more fully described hereinafter, are arranged on conductor rod ease, to which electric current is supplied through cables +l9 and 50, from a' source of low voltage and high amperage, so that the maximum of heat current can be supplied at a comparatively low electro-motive force.

In Fig. 2, a vertical section of the converter shows the interior construction of the vaporizer C, and the vapor converter or chamber D. Located within this retort,- the two heaters 53 and 54;, are held in position by means of the conductor rod l7&7-48, through which current flows to maintain each heater at the required temperature for their respective operations. It will be noticed that a tube or sheath 55 extends down into the vaporizing chamber C, from the flange plate 41, the object being to confine the heat from the heater and to cause the oil flowing in through pipe 13, to approach the heater 53 from below, as shown by the arrows, and to be rapidly heated and vaporized. As thissheath is in close proximity to the heater 58, some of the radiating heat therefrom will have the effect of additionally heating the. incoming oil contained in the well outside the sheath so that by the time it enters the sheath and surrounds the The vapors rising from the surface of oil above the heater 53, enter the converting tube or section D, and come in contact with or in close proximity to the heater 54, which is maintained at higher temperature than the vaporizing heater'53. The vapor, in its upward passage through the chamber D, is afiected within the heated zone and is, in a considerable measure, changed from its higher boiling nature to desirable low boiling products.

' These products can be separated out from the condensate by fractional distillation after the converted .vapors have passed through pipe 22, the condenser G and into trap tank H, from which they are, withdrawn after having been reduced to liquid form.

A feature of importance in an apparatus of this nature is the means for internally applying heat to the oil and oily vapors contained within the retort under high super-atmospheric pressures for the purpose high b0 1ng original untreated oil to lower bolling products. In the structure illustrated electric heaters are employed for this of bringing about the conversion of the.

' purpose and they are adapted to be maintained at heats designed to bring about the desired results and which heats must vary with the oils of different gravities and boilin points subjected to transformation by this apparatus.

Each of these electric heaters is made up in the form of a grid from a plurality of ploy. The. current is brought in by means of cable or conductor wire +49 and con- .ductor rod 47, which passes through the cap 42 at the top of chamber D, and in order to prevent grounding or short circuit with the'meta-llic parts of the system, an insulator bushing 51, of'suitable non-conducting material will be interposed in a tight fitting relation between the cap and a stufiing box or gland 52, provided for the leading in conductor rod 47, so that vapor 4 leakage u-nder'high pressure may be avoided.

So also the leading out end of the conductor rod 48, through the bottom of the chamber C, may be provided with an insulator bushing and a gland. The conductor rod 47-48 is divided 'into three parts,

that above the heater 54, and extending out through cap 42, that part 'connecting'heater 54 with 53, and that partextending below heater 53 and out through the bottom of the chamber C. The upper and lower parts of this conductor terminate .withinthe retort C-D, in electrical connection with cor.-

'responding terminals of .suitably constructed heaters 53 and '54, which comprise one or more resistance rods 60, 60 60", 60?, etc., (Fig, 5

These nallyheating the oil and oily'vapors so as to very effectually convertthe same and as- .sist in performing the steps of primary importance to my process, that is the vaporizing of oil, then transforming the vapors therefrom in the same receptacle.

In Fig. 3, a similar sectional viewof a retort is shown comprising in addition an expansion dome E. This dome is made fast to the chamber D, by means of a reducing flange 56, and at the upper end of the dome a'crowned cap. 57, is provided for the attachment of the cap 42, through which the upper part of the conductor rod 48 extends.

Within this dome -E, one or more arched perforated bafiie plates 58, may be arranged to intercept thevapors before theyescape through pipe 22 to the condenser G. Ihe central part of these plates is cut out so as to permit the rod 4748 supporting the heaters 53 and 54 being removed from the.

top of the dome when required. 1

The pieces 59, cut from the central part of the plates 58, are attached to the rod 4748, in such a position as to close the opening in the large plates 58, when the rod is. properly located, but in the drawing these small plates are shown mounted above the larger ones for illustration purposes only as, in practice, they are so positioned as to form .one continuous arched plate for the interception of the heavier vapors.

The object of these plates is tocollect any partly or wholly unconverted oily vaporand cause it to flow down along the inside of the dome E and reducing flange 56, where it will comeinto close proximity to the cracking zone or continue down the sides of chamber D, and fall into the chamber C, where it will again be volatilized by heater 53, and eventually become changed when in vapo-rous form by the heater 5.4.

In Fig. 4, the relative position of the heater'rods 60, insulating core 69, sheath 55 and the wall of the chamber C, are shown as well as the inlet pipe 13 and one of the outlet pipes 39.

In the erection and operation of the converters, for commercial practice, it may be necessary to combine a number of units into a batte so that the supply and discharge to an from them can be handled by heaters provide means for interchambers C C C and any one set of supply pumps and the converted vapors by one condensing apparatus, for economy of operation. Such a battery of units is shown in Fig. 5, where three of the converters oi the type shown in Fig. 3, are combined with a uniform feed and discharge.

The number of units may be increased as desired for convenience and economy,'and each supply is compensated with the supply to the other converters, by such a pipe as 68, so that a uniform height of oil may be maintained in all of the vaporizing additional ones comprising the battery. n like manner the outlets 22, from the domes E E E lead up through pipes 70 and down through pipes 71, into one inclined vapor pipe 24, leading to the condenser G, from which they pass into collecting tank H, as described in connection with the apparatus shown in Fig. l.

' co-pending I am not herein claiming this liquid or vapor compensatlon method, however, as

that has already been shown and described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 530,852, filed Dec. 1, 1909, now Patent 1,320,85l, Oct. 28, 1919, nor am I claiming the form of heater shown in this application for that appears in my Patent 976,975, Nov. 29, 1910, and is fully described inmy application 530,852 already referred to, but I do claim the combination with an oil vaporizer of an oily vapor heater and for the avoidance of cross reference I will again describe this simple form of heater so that the description may be embodied in this specification.

It is, of course, a well known-fact that if certain resistance mediums are employed through which an electric current will pass, heat will be generated, and if the material is of a. nature to constantly withstand high temperature without breaking down or disintegrating then'a constancy of heat can be depended upon for commercial operation. Such material can be found in a form of graphitic-carbon made in the electric furnace, and this material can easily be cut, threaded, tapped and shaped into the forms required for this purpose.

The most convenient form for the resistance elements will be the round pencils of various thicknesses and lengths threaded at both ends so that attachments can be made as shown in the drawing Fig. 5 In this form of grid the rods are joined at the top by links as 63 and 65, havin the graphitic-carbon located at bot sides of them, while at the bottom the rods are screwed into links as 62 and 64:, tapped to receive the screw threaded ends of the rods.

'iln order to intercept the current passing.

nuts of core 69, of soapstone, porcelain or other insulating material capable of withstanding temperatures above 1000 F is provided with metal ends 72, as shown in Fig. 6, and

the grid of heating elements is wrapped around this core having the linkend 61, at the top, made fast to the part 72 by means of nut 73, and at the bottom the link 67, is

rod 60*, across the link 63, down the rod 60", across the link 64, up the rod 60, across the link 65 and continues up and down the successive rods and out at the last rod 66 and link 67 to the lower metal part attached to the insulating core 69, and so on to the next heater.

The complete heater composed of the core and grid with the metal ends 72 the core 69 and the resistance elements60, is shown at Fig. 7, and in Fig. 8, a top View of the heater is shown while in Fig. 9, a cross section through line X-X ofFig. 7, shows the relative position of the core 69 and resistance elements 60. Fig. 10, is a view looking down below the line X-X of Fig. 7, and shows the lower link 67, in a position one rod removed from that to which link 61 is attached at the top of the heater.

This. form of grid heater can have one or more circles of resistance rods and in commercial practice a greater volume of heat is radiated from several circles of smaller diameter resistance rods than from a single circle of larger diameter resistance rods.

Mode of operation.

Having described one form of apparatus adapted to carry out my processreferred to, it will be apparent to those having any knowledg of the art that while worln'ng under high super-atmospheric vapor pressures as contemplated, there are several things which must be observed in order to obtain the objects sought and to get, as a result of employing this apparatus, the desired low boiling products of the highest commercial value and nature.

It will be understood from the foregoing descriptionthat original oil is contained in tank A, that pump 8, withdraws oil from the supply tank and delivers it against a back vapor pressure into the converting and condensing system composed of parts B, C-DE, F, G and H, and that the surplus oil not forced into the converter is delivered into the tank'A, throu h pipe 35 and onclosed release valve 36, or re-circulation by the pump 8. That the oil so admitted into the system through precision valves 10, is pro-heated in the heater B, then admitted oil in this container pass up through cham-.

her D, and in close proximity to the heater 54, where the greater part of such vapors are aifected by-the cracking heat radiatedfrom the electrodes and while held under the high super-atmospheric vapor pressures are transformed from high -boiling oils into products having lower boiling points and specific gravities.

The vapors so transformed pass out through pipe 22, trap F and into the com denser and collecting system G and H, from which latter the liquid product is with-- drawn through pipe 31 controlled by valve 32 and the fixed gases through pipe 33 controlled by valve 34. Any condensate not light enough to go over into the condenser, when in vaporous form, is returned to-the chamber C, or trapped in tank J, from which it is returned to the supply tank A, by

means of pump and pipes Maud 46.

In this process, as carried on in this aparatus, the addition .of new oil into tank A, is necessary to compensate for the withdrawal of distillates from the running tank H, and s0 longas the apparatus is operating under favorable conditions with the heaters maintained at uniform heats and the supply and discharge'-regula-ted to render the greatest volume of transformed product the ap= paratus may continue in operation for days without cessation or disturbance.

While this apparatus has a wide range in its adaptability for various purposes and for the treatment of other liquids than hydro-carbons, its mission in this case is to fulfill the need for a method of transforming many of the heavy and inexpensive residues of the petroleum and coal tar group into those of greater commercial demand and value to meet the fast growing market necessities, particularly for petroleum spirits such as gasolene and naphtha.

The terms cracking heat and cracking temperatures maybe understood and interpreted as temperatures in excess of the necessary heats employed for the fractional distillation of oils or the mereseparation of the component parts of a crude or semi-re undergoing transformation and condensa,

tion give very satisfactory results without, however, using theseillustrations n a limited sense.

An apparatus of preferred form and construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in wh1ch this invention may be used, but the inventive thou ht upon which this application is based, is made? than this illustrative embodiment thereof, and I therefore intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims:

Claims-e 1. Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising a receptacle, an electricoil heater arranged-in the lower part of said receptacle, an'electric vapor heater arranged in the upper part of said receptacle, means rigidly connecting said heaters with said receptacle whereby a fixed normal relation may be maintained between the same and means for supplying oil to said receptacle and maintaining it at a pre-determined level above said oil heater in the lower part of said receptacle. I

2. Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising a receptacle an electric oil heater in the lower part and an electric oily va or heater in the upper part arranged wit in said receptacle and a heat confining partition, having an oil inlet opening, interposed between said lower heater and the adjacent wall of said receptacle for the purpose of confining heat from the lower heater to a small localized portion of oil contained within the lower part of said receptacle to be volatilized. v

' 3. Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising a receptacle, electricheaters arranged in the lower and upper parts of said cumferentiall'y arranged resistance rods surrounding said-insulating members, links connecting the adjacent ends of said rods, means establishing electrical connections between said rods and conductors, means for raising temperatures of oil to volatilization in the lower heater, means for raising temperatures for vapor cracking in the upper heater, means supplying 'oil under high pressure to the lower part of said receptacle and means withdrawing converted vapors from the upper part of said receptacle cooling and condensing them under high super-atmospheric vapor pressures.

4. Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising means for intimately subjecting oil to vaporizing temperatures while contained within an enclosed receptacle for causing copious volatilization, means for afie'cting the vapors of volatilized oils by electrically maintained heaters enveloped within the oily vapors while contained in the same receptacle, means for forcing oil against a back high vapor pressure into the lower part of said receptacle, means for withdrawing converted and transformed oily vapors from the taining oil vaporizing heaters and heaters the upper part thereof.

for converting the vapors of volatilized oils while held under high super-atmospheric, vaporpressures, means for supplying oil to the converters and maintaining a substantially uniform level therein, means for separating from the vapors generated the partially or wholly unconverted oils and for returning and re-treating that oil meansfor Withdrawing and condensing the converted vapors from the saidconvertersand means for maintaining saidpressureson said 611 and in said vapors in the converters to an through the condensingmeans.

6.- Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising a source of oil, a receptacle connected therewith, and heaters combined with said receptacle adapted to be maintained at oil volatilizing and oily vapor cracking temperatures in contact with the oil and oily -vapors therein, an outlet for the oily vapors evolved by the action of said heaters, 'a receptacle connected with said outlet and adapted to collect portions of the oily liquid carried by said vapors, means for returning said collected liquid to the action of said heaters, means for condensing the residual vapors, and means for maintaining the entire system under high super-atmospheric vapor pressure from the source of supply through to the end of or be 0nd the condenser.

Apparatus of the nature disclosed, comprising a receptacle, an electric oil heater in the lower part. and an electric oily vapor heater in the upper part arranged within said receptacle and a heat confining partition, having an oil inlet opening, interposed between said lower heater and the adjacent wall of said receptacle for the purpose of confining heat from the lower heater to a small localized portion of oil containedwithinthe lower part of said receptacle-to be volatilized and means for regulating the flow of oil into the lower part of said receptacle and the withdrawal of vapors from 8. Oil converting apparatus comprising a converter having a liquid section therein, means for maintaining body of liquid oil therein a heater within said body of oil, a heater within the vaporizing space for cracking the vapors evolved by the heater in the liquid, and means for partially confining a small body of liquid in the immedi ate proximity of the liquid heater.

9.v Oil converting apparatus comprising a converter having a liquid oil containing reservoir sleeve forming a vaporizing vessel open at its lower end and extending downwardly belowthe surface of the liquid and extending upwardly to form a vaporizing space, and a pairof spaced heaters within the sleeve-located respectively within the liquid and within the vaporizing spacesthereof.

10. Apparatus of the nature described, comprising a combined vaporizing and cracking chamber, meanscfor supplying oi] theretoand maintaining a. predetermined level therein, means for heating the body of oil in the chamber to effect its vaporization, means for applying a cracking temperature locally to the evolved vapors above said body of oil in said chamber, means for maintaining superatmospheric pressure within said chamber, means for separating out the heavier and medium products from the lighter products, means for returning the heavierproducts to the body of liquid in the chamber and the medium products to the source of supply, and means for condensing the lighter products of desired vola tility.

11. Apparatus of the nature described, comprising a plurality of combined vaporizing and cracking chambers containing oil vaporizing heaters and heaters for converting vapors of volatilized oils, means including interconnecting pipes between the chambers for supplying oil to the several chambers and maintaining a substantially uniform level therein, means for maintaining superatmospheric pressure in the vapor spaces of said chambers, means for withdrawing the evolved vapors. and means for separating out and returning for retreatment certain heavier constituents of the withdrawn vapors.

12. Apparatus of the nature described, comprising a plurality of series connected combined vaporizing and cracking chamhers, means for passing oil continuously through said chambers in succession, means for heating the oil in transit-through said chambers to effect its vaporization, means disposed in the vapor spaces of the several chambers for locally subjecting the evolved vapors to suflicient heat to eifect their conversion, means for maintaining superatmospheric pressure in said chambers and means for heating oil in transit through said chambers to effect its vaporization, means disposed in the vapor spaces of the several chambers for locally subjecting the evolved vapors to sufficient heat to effect their conversion, means for maintaining superatmos pheric pressure in said chambers, means for Withdrawing the evolved cracked products therefrom and means for freely connecting the vapor spaces of the several chambers to equalize the vapor pressure therein.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

A. \COPSTIOH, J. S. de SELDINGi 

